"Many people refused to talk to the commissioner even if they were not suspects. I'm afraid to say this is happening more and more in files investigated by the commissioner."

2) The Del Mastro clause. Require Elections Canada to inform subjects they are being investigated while preventing EC from telling the public about it.Problem : Public trust in fair elections in Canada at all time high.Fair Elections Act solutions : 1) Governing party rewrites election law while being investigating by Elections Canada for election fraud.2) Don't consult with Chief Electoral Officer before tabling major overhaul of Elections Act.3) Deny Elections Canada commissioner access to parties' and riding associations' financial documentation to support claims made on their financial returns. 4) Forbid Elections Canada from communicating with public. Mayrand :

"Most reports and research will no longer be public - not only not available but probably won't be done at all.

I can no longer speak about democracy in this country except where and when to vote. I am not aware of any other electoral bodies around the world who cannot talk about democracy."

then cut off debate about the bill in the HoC, sending it to PROC with its 6 out of 10 Con committee members.

Problem : Too many people vote - 61% in the last federal election - especially aboriginals, young people, old people, and poor people.Solutions : 1) Forbid Elections Canada from encouraging voting, including terminating the mock elections model currently being taught to 300,000 Canadian students.2) Voter suppression. Kill off vouching *** - the provisionallowingan elector to prove their residence in a riding by having someone they know in the riding who is registered to vote sign a legal document. Marc Mayrand on CBC's The House again :

"Every Canadian has the right to vote. That's a universal franchise. Vouching is meant to assist people facing challenges. We estimate that in the last election a little over 100,000 electors required vouching before they could cast a ballot. What will happen to those electors in the next election?"

Problem : Not enough Pierre Poutine robocalls are being made during elections.

Solution : Ditto

Problem : Not allowed to campaign on Election Day

Solution : Ditto

***On a personal note, I have often relied on vouching in order to vote in my riding, despite having voted in every election I have been in the country for since I came of age to do so. I have a voter ID card, a Canadian passport, a Canadian citizenship card, a BC health care card, and a deed to the house in my riding which has been my only residence for decades. None of these have my address on them, including, according to Elections Canada, the deed to my house because it lists a rural RR# address they no longer recognize. I pay all my bills online or through my credit union.

10 comments:

A very good and concise outline of some of the problems with this Allison. Given the number of electors that had difficulty establishing their identity at one particular rural advanced poll last time around the rural addressing problem is far from settled according to one poll clerk who dealt with such issues.

It also shows the ideological function of driving and driving licences in carcentric, capitalist society. I've never owned or driven a car in my life, and I'm very proud of that fact, though of course I realize that this is only possible in an urban area with good public transport, or somewhere I could walk and cycle year round. I've been an activist for walkable and cyclable cities for decades.